Innersole and method of making the same



' 'Apriifi, 1946?. F. L. AYERS INNERSOLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Filed Jan. 25, 1943 Figure 7.

Patented Apr. 9, 1946 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE INNERSOLE AND METHOD OF MAKING THE SAME Fred L. Ayers, Watertown, Mass. Application January 25, 1943, Serial No'. 473,453

6 Claims. (01. 36-22) a In my application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 480,320 for Innersole and method of making the same, filed March 24, 1943, there is disclosed an innersole having an inseam receiving rib comprising a longitudinally folded strip, preferably of fabric, provided with a reinforcing element within the fold, upper materials being secured to this rib beneath the reinforced portion which is thereafter removed during the inseam trimming. The part of the rib remaining after'the trimming operation comprises two, or if a sole reinforcing layer is employed, three layers of fabric, the inseam being positioned close to the cut edges of these layers. When the outersole is to be cemented on, this cement saturates the fabric layers, which are thus so reinforced that the securement of the upper materials to the innersole and these parts to the outersole is amply strong. When the outersole is to be attached by outersole stitches, securing the outersole to a welt, which in turn is secured to the lasted shoe entirely by the inseam, a more secure attachment of the inseam to the lasted shoe than is afforded by the two or threelayers of the fabric of the innersole rib, may be found desirable.

In accordance with this invention, therefore, the fabric rib of the construction heretofore de scribed is reinforced by oneormore other layers which may also be of fabric. This provides at least two additional layers to the rib which materially increases the body of the rib through which the inseam passes by which the welt and upper materials are secured tothe lasted shoe.

For a more "complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure 1 is an inverted perspective view of an innersole embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on line 2-2 of Figure 1. a

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional view similar to a portion of Figure 2 but showing a modification.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the strip material of which the stitch-receiving rib is composed.

Figures 5 and 6 are views similar"to Figure 4, but illustrating modified constructions.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the strip guide by'which the strip of Figure 4 is formed up and presented to the innersole blank for attachment thereto andshows a portion of the strip therein. Figures 8, 9 and 10 are detail sectional views on the correspondingly numbered section lines of Figures 11 andf12 care detail sectional views through one side portion of the lasted shoe before and after the inseam trimming operation, respectively. 7 v

Figure i3 is a view somewhat similar to Figure with such folding. This of the center 5, but showing another manner of forming a reinforcing strip for the rib. r

Referring to the accompanying drawing, at I is shown an innersole blank which may be of any suitable, preferably .thinmaterial, and to the lower face of which an inseam-receiving rib is secured. As shown in Figure 4, this rib may comprise a plurality of superposed strips 2 and 3, as shown as of fabric, the strip 3 being considerably narrower than the strip 2 and preferably of relatively non-stretchable material such as straight out tape, while the strip 2 is preferably bias tape; They are secured together in superposedrelation as by a line of fasteningsrsuch as stitches at 4, which confines the strips together along a narrow zone substantially centrally of the width of the strip 3, but preferably somewhat to one side of the center of the strip .2. .Instead of securing the strips together by stitches, they may be cemented together as shown inFigure 5, and in order to facilitate subsequent folding up, the narrow strip ma be in two pieces 3a, or if desired, one only of these pieces 311, preferably the inner piece, may be used. If more body to the stitching rib is desired, a plurality of superposed narrow strips may be employed as shown in Figure 6. When more than one narrow strip is employed in superposed relation, stitching or stapling of the strips is preferable to cementing, in view of the difficulty of sufiiciently localizing the attachment so as to permit the strips to be folded together readily along the zone or line of securement.

Instead of employing a fabric o-r tape reinforcement to the stitching rib, such a reinforcement may comprise a suitable plastic which may be extruded onto the bias tape as a narrow strip or ribbon 5 (Figure 13) as from a nozzle 6, such narrow strip being in lieu of one of the'strips 3a of Figure 5, the line of fold of the bias tape 2 when the rib is formed being along one edge of the plastic strip so that it does not interfere plastic may be of cellulosic or any other composition which will set to film or strip form sufficiently rapidly after emerging from the nozzle. 7

The edge portions of the strips when secured by stitching are left free in order that they may slide relative to eachother as they arebent to folded condition. Such bending or folding may be accomplished by passing the strips thus secured together through a guide member ID, illus trated best in Figures '7 to 10. This guide member consists of a block ll having at one! end a curved depression extending from side to side as at l2, this depression merging gradually into the contour-shown in Figure 10 where there is a flat substantially rectangular depression l3 adjacent to the top surface of the block II and a depending U-shaped depression (4 at one side of the depression l3. Cooperating with the block H is a cover member l5 which, at the entering end of the strip, is provided with a fin I] which depends into. the depression l2 and defines a line of fold for the strips 2 and 3. This fin'l'l' extends part way only toward the exit end of the guide and is so disposed that the narrow strip 3 is folded and enclosed by the portion 22 of the wider strip 2-; 'Thus the wider;

strip is folded about the narrower strip or strips so that the stitching rib when presented to the base of the blank comprises at least three layers -of fabric with outwardly extending flanges, each of the thickness of one layer of fabric, extending therefrom. When only three layers are used, at

least two of them are cemented in face to face relation which adds to their combined strength.

The top. surface ofthe strips 2 and -3 may be pretreatediwith a' cement sothat when the strips are thus foldedup together, the sides of the fQld'edstripZBLare united'by the cement, and the flanges and 21. when presented to the face crime blank, which is also cement treated, adhere" thereto. The edges of the narrow strip 3 preferably terminate at or closely adjacentto the face of the blank. |,although if desired, of

theshan'k and heel} as it may terminate f'orwaridly of the shank ormay be extended around theheelseatas-m'ay be desired.

Wheretliestitching ribis' cemented in position,'itisusually preferable to employ a further reinforcing layer such ast he' fabric,' as shown at'25','which-extends acrossthe face of the innersolebetweemthe portioris of the rib on opposite sides and preferably is also brought up against the inner face of the rib to about the level; ofits upper edge. This-reinforcing layer may also be of rams; such"'as-" canvas, an be cemented "in position. If-des'ired, however, the inseam rib may be secu'red as bystitching as at 28', in which case therewillordinarily'be no need for using the-reinforcing fabric layer; 25.' Such a construction is illustr'ated 'in Figure 3. Where more thanone strip, such as 3, -is' employed' to be enclosed by theouter layer of fabric, each will be folded in so that'the 'portionof the stitching rib which receivesthe'inseam fastening such as stitches, staples, or the" like, 'is' composed of" at" least six thicknesses of strip material.

Where the" inseam rib-is secured by cement, the-rib and the innersole blank may beyfed together soithat'the rib is fol'dedand applied progressively to the innersole blank, and for this purposeifour-motion feeding 'needles 33 may be employedwhich' extend and move through slots 3l-"off the guide. Where stitchingisemployed to lasted upper materials 36 and'3l are secured to the stitching rib as by the inseam stitches 40 as shown in Figure 11, and the inseam trimming removes the upper edges of these portions but leaves the several layers 'of fabric of which the inseam rib is formed as a relatively soft body to retain the inseam fasteners, such as stitches or staples, in position. This securement of the welt, upper materials, and innersole together, is ample so that when an outersole (not shown) is secured by outersole stitching to the welt 35, the securernent' o'f'the outersole in position is ample, while theremaining portions of the innersole rib are sufiiciently soft to provide the desired flexibility to. th'e entiresolestructure andmay be so compacted-as to avoidxithe. necessity of employing a bottomfiller- From theforegoing description of certain embodimentsof this invention, it, should be evident tothose skilled in the art that various changes andlmodifications mightibe made without departing from the: spiritlor scope of: this invention.

I claim:

1. An innersole comprising a blank and an inseam rib. 'securedto'one face of said blank, said rib comprisinga plurality of layers of sheet materialfolded. longitudinally so that onelayer envelops the: next inward layer,. the. outer layer only'having its marginsseparatedto formiflang'es, said'fianges:beingtsecured. to said blanklface, the othersflof said. layers terminating substantially at said blankfacei.

2. An innersole comprising a blank andi-an inseamrib securedto; one face.ofisaid 'b1ank,said

secure; the 'rib-'in position, these needles 30 will be provided with eyes; and threaded-for the re ception of the stitching; threads, and ordinarily there 'will be ja' needle to a'pplyfa third row of stitcliesf28 on th mne face of therib as 7 shown in Figure 3:

When an innersole, constructedin accordance withthis invention is employed, thewelt35j and rib comprising a pluralityofllayers: of material secured together. inafac'e ltoif'ace relation, atleast one of said layers. being; folded longitudinally and enveloping theanextiinwardilayer, the outer layer only having itssmargins:separatedt'o' form flanges, saidfianges .b'eingt. securedto said blank face, the others. on said. layers-;terrninating substantiallyiatrsaidablank'face;

3:.An'.innersole comprising a: blank. and an inseamjrib secured to onegfac'e of;'said.blank,isaid rib; comprising: a. pluralityiof ;layers:. or. fabric folded ,longitudinallrsoz; that one; layer .envelops the next inward layer;.the:o.uter. layenonlyi having its: margins: separated tosform' flanges, said flanges beingsecuredyto said blankface the'otherrof said layers terminating substantially ,atxsaidblank face,

4. The method; which comprises; securinghtoe gether. along a narrow; zone; aplurality of; superposed pieces of strip material, folding said strips longitudinally substantially along said; zoneand turning the marginsfof atleastone ;of said strips away from each other to' form a pair of flanges, and progressively .presenting and securing said flangesto .on'e lface, an. innersole blank.

'5jTh'e method which comprises securing together. a plurality-of superposed pieces of lstrip material, foldifig'jsaid strips-Y lon itudinally and turning, the margins. bffatlast. onefof' saidfstrips away from each other; ,to form. a Qpair jof flanges, and ,lp oerle iv liv. pres'entirieljandi securing "said flanges, toljonej 'r eepr an. innersolelbiankf 6'.v The method which r comprises securing toh y a l ne 9 a ien. ng .a b l fflli of posed'pieces of strip material, folding said; strips longitudinally substantially along said line .and inei he 'm nw 'at est' 9 ,s idis r ps away from each' 'other toif'orm ,s' pair of flanges, and progressively presenting and" securing A said flanges to one face of an innersole blanki i FREDL." AYERS. 

